2019 Free straw bale natural building education program in Moab, Utah

Community Rebuilds (CR) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation whose mission is to build energy efficient housing, provide education on sustainability, and improve the housing conditions of the workforce through an affordable program. Community Rebuilds constructs affordable and energy efficient straw bale homes, working with the homeowner and training a dedicated group of volunteer interns on each home project. These interns are young emerging professionals with the desire to participate in an experiential program as they learn how to build low carbon, modern natural buildings.

Program Structure

CR invites up to 16 student interns to build straw bale homes from foundation to finish under the direction of a licensed contractor and natural building experts. Interns will contribute to the foundation, frame walls, install bales, apply a variety of natural plasters, pour adobe floors, learn about electrical, plumbing, solar photovoltaics and permaculture, and take part in many other activities necessary to the completion of a home. Semesters are subject to some variability, as the schedule of any build is dependent on many factors, such as weather and unforeseeable build challenges. However, we assure that you will be an integral part of the build and will gain an unparalleled amount of natural and conventional construction experience. Additionally, though our internship program primarily consists of onsite, hands-on learning, the experience is occasionally supplemented with workshops, conferences, and field trips. There are no graded assignments, tests, or readings. Interns are provided with housing and a modest food stipend in addition to the education in exchange for their labor.

Our program is very team-oriented. Each term last five months. Interns work together onsite and live together in a home provided by CR. They get to know our selected homeowners quite well as they work with them side by side in the creation of their home. Similarly, because our CR chapters are located in wonderful, unique communities, interns have many opportunities to make new friends, perhaps volunteer with other awesome organizations, and invest a little piece of themselves into our CR communities. These partnerships are important to our organization, which is based on the understanding that we are all neighbors ready to support each other and make our community better.